Wigtown Book Festival

Wigtown Book Festival

The second biggest book festival in Scotland, The Wigtown Book Festival enters its second decade this autumn. And this year's event has a programme guaranteed to appeal to whisky lovers.

As part of Scotland's Homecoming 2009 celebrations, the Book Festival will be hosting "Whisky & Words" a unique "festival-within-a-festival" exploring the links between two of Scotland's greatest exports: whisky and writing.

Beginning with a Burns Supper on Wednesday 30 September and finishing with a ceilidh on the evening of Saturday 3 October, Whisky & Words features talks by many of the finest whisky writers as well as tastings, theatre, film, story-telling and literary events.

Discover the true story behind Compton Mackenzie's Whisky Galore, how Charlie MacLean has distilled a life-time of expertise into his Whiskypedia, and what it feels like to bring a distillery back to life.

Explore the legends of Islay's malt and the relationship between whisky and jazz. Learn about the lives of Scottish literature's two great excisemen, Robert Burns and Neil Gunn. Savour the flavours of peat and sherry in midnight tastings at Scotland's most southerly distillery. And listen to the nation's finest young folk musicians.

Among those taking part are Helen Arthur, Christopher Brookmyre, Ian Buxton, Gavin Smith, Robin Laing, John Lamond, Dave Broom, Hans Offringa, Tom Morton, Nick Nairn and Richard Paterson. Full details can be found at http://www.wigtownbookfestival.com <http://www.wigtownbookfestival.com/> or you can order a brochure on 01988 40322. Other "non-whisky" writers appearing at this year's festival include Roddy Doyle, Iain Banks, Chris Mullin, Diana Athill, David Owen

Bladnoch One-Day Whisky ExperiencesFrom Wednesday 30 September to Saturday 3 October, Bladnoch Distillery will be hosting one-day whisky schools, which offer an insider's view on what happens in a distillery. These "schools" usually cost £150, but are offered at just £10 to any individual who buys five or more tickets to events at Whisky & Words, subject to availability. Numbers are limited to 20 people a day. Places allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Book through the Stena Line Wigtown Book Festival ticket office on 01988 403222 or 01988 402036.

Whisky & Words is sponsored by Bladnoch Distillery in association with Whisky Magazine.